


A Small Gesture

by ValerieValerah



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Church of ghost, Gen, Library, Platonic Relationships, Sweden - Freeform, Tricycle Ride, Walking, Winter, cardinal copia - Freeform, sister of sin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:00:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23595718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValerieValerah/pseuds/ValerieValerah
Summary: While away from the church, Sister Kayla runs into Cardinal Copia, who offers her a ride home.
Relationships: Cardinal Copia/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	A Small Gesture

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for a friend who is nice enough to proofread all my fics for me despite knowing almost nothing about Ghost.  
> When she asked me to write her into a story where she gets to ride Copia's tricycle, I couldn't say no. Thank you, Kayla!

Winters in Sweden are not for the faint of heart. Between sub-zero temperatures, extended periods of darkness, and seemingly never-ending snow, the whole country is sometimes trapped inside for weeks or even months at a time. It’s no surprise that when spring finally arrives each year, the Swedes want nothing more than to just bask in the warm sunshine.

Linköping was experiencing its first beautiful day in what felt like ages. Most members of the Church of Ghost had made their way outside, desperate for an escape after being cooped up for so long. Many of the congregants lounged around on the front steps or the church lawn, socializing in small groups. A few of the men had unearthed some old sports equipment and were busying themselves organizing pick-up games of football and rugby.

Sister Kayla found herself on her own. She was fairly new to the church and hadn’t made many friends yet, but it didn’t bother her; she knew she would eventually find her place amongst the other siblings of sin. Sister Imperator gave her plenty of tasks to keep her busy throughout the day and in her spare time she was an avid reader. Her passion for reading was what helped her decide how she wanted to spend her first day outside the walls of the church: she wanted to go to the library.

As soon as she had a free moment, she threw her messenger bag over her shoulder and ran downstairs. The combination of warm sun and cool breeze hit her as soon as she walked outside. It felt good on her skin and she stood at the top of the steps for a moment, taking it all in. After a quick stretch she set off on foot down the dirt road that led away from the church.

The neighboring town was only a few miles away; she estimated that it would take her about an hour to make the journey. Kayla walked mostly in silence, just listening to the sounds of nature reawakening around her. She occasionally hummed one of the church’s hymns to herself when the silence became too much. The music came to her more easily than the words did, but she was working on committing a little more to memory every day.

Eventually she reached the edge of the town and made her way down the main street. Most of the townspeople she passed paid her no mind; being so close to the church, they were used to seeing the occasional sibling of sin pass through, mostly to run errands for the clergy. An elderly man sitting in a rocking chair on his front porch tipped his hat at her. She smiled and gave him a little wave before turning down a side street.

Kayla soon came across the library and let herself in. It was a simple brick building and, like the town, it was small but sufficient. It didn’t take long for her to skim the shelves, but she managed to find a large number of titles she wanted to read. She looked at her bag, trying to determine how many books she could carry, and selected half a dozen to take home with her. The librarian greeted her warmly as she approached the circulation desk with her arms full. After registering for a library card, she stuffed the books into her bag and thanked the woman before making her way back outside.

Not wanting to immediately start the journey back home, she decided to see what else the town had to offer. Most of the businesses seemed to be on the main street, so she made her way back toward it. Wandering down one side and back up the other she passed a post office, a tailor, a florist, and a handful of other businesses, none of which she had any need for.

One of the last buildings she came across was a general store. Kayla peeked in the front window to see what it looked like inside. The shop wasn’t very big, but appeared to be well stocked. She didn’t have any money, but considering her only other option was to start walking back to the church, she decided to step inside and have a look around.

A bell on the door jingled as she opened it. The shopkeeper looked up from his newspaper when he heard it and smiled at Kayla. She waved at him before slowly walking up and down the aisles. Much of the store was typical pantry staples, but they had a small selection of sweets as well. She stopped to read the labels; many of them she didn’t recognize, but a few of them were names she remembered from back home. A small wave of nostalgia hit her, but she shook it off and kept walking.

The bell jingled a second time as another customer walked in. The man gave the shopkeeper a nod as he picked up a basket. He walked slowly up and down the aisles, carefully making his selections. Kayla was gazing through the glass door of the drink cooler when the man walked up behind her. “Hello, Sister Kayla,” he said.

Kayla turned toward the voice and saw Cardinal Copia standing before her. “Oh, hello Cardinal,” she said, bowing her head slightly. “It’s nice to see you.”

“You as well,” he replied. “I don’t normally see postulants outside of the church.”

“Oh, well, I couldn’t pass up being outside on such a nice day,” she started to explain, “and I really wanted to go to the library, so here I am.”

The cardinal looked around. “This is not the library.”

“I know,” she said, her face starting to blush. “I was on my way back and thought I'd stop here as well.”

Copia laughed gently. “Relax, I'm only teasing. Whenever I come to town, I always stop here and pick up some snacks before I go home.”

Kayla smiled awkwardly. “I wasn’t going to buy anything, I just wanted to see what they have.”

“I see.” The two of them stood there silently for a moment before he asked, “Did you come here alone?”

“Yes,” she replied. “I walked. It took a while, but it wasn’t so bad.”

The cardinal tilted his head a bit. “That’s quite a long walk. I imagine it won’t be quite as leisurely now that you’ve weighed yourself down with literature. Would you like a ride back?”

Kayla nodded. “That would be amazing. Thank you so much.”

“Wait for me outside while I finish up here,” he instructed her. “Would you like anything?”

“No, thank you, Cardinal.” With another bow of her head, she walked back down the aisle and out the front door, taking a seat on a bench to wait.

Copia selected a few more items and made his way to the front of the store. After paying for his things and thanking the shopkeeper, he joined Kayla outside, shopping bag in hand. “Ready to go?” he asked.

“Yes,” Kayla said, rising to her feet and grabbing her bag. “Where’s your car?”

“Oh… well, Imperator wouldn’t let me borrow her car, so I biked here.” He gestured toward his tricycle that was parked at the curb.

The sister just just stared at him, wondering how he thought he was going to give her a ride home. “I don’t think you have room for me,” she finally said. “Maybe I should just walk.”

“Nonsense!” he replied, hooking his shopping bag on the handle and taking a seat. “You can stand on the back. You’ll be fine.”

Kayla bit her bottom lip nervously. Not only did this not seem the least bit safe, but she had never been this physically close to any of the senior clergy before. After taking a couple of deep breaths, she slung her messenger bag behind her and stepped onto the rear axle of the trike, resting her hands on his shoulders to steady herself.

“Are you ready?” he asked, looking back at her over his shoulder. “Make sure you hold on!” Kayla tightened her grip on his cassock and they took off.

The town quickly disappeared behind them as they started to cruise along. As the wind started to blow Kayla’s hair back, a smile crossed her face. They ran over a small rock and the bike bounced a little. She wrapped her arms around Copia’s shoulders, wanting to make sure she didn’t get thrown off. Kayla could smell his cologne as she got closer and she closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying his musky scent.

Copia grinned as he felt her hold on tighter. He started pedaling harder and they steadily picked up speed. She laughed excitedly as they raced down the road, rounding the curves so fast that Kayla thought they might start flying. “Still good?” he called back to her.

“Yes!” she replied, thoroughly enjoying herself.

It wasn’t long before they saw the church appear on the horizon. Not wanting to create a scene, Copia slowed their pace. Once they had returned to a calmer speed, Kayla loosened her grip on the cardinal, returning to her standing position for the rest of their ride.

When they came to a stop in front of the church, they were surprised to find that the yard was empty. Copia looked at his watch. “It’s almost dinner time,” he commented. “You should probably catch up with the others before they leave you with the scraps.”

Kayla stepped down from the back of the bike. She readjusted her messenger bag as she walked around and stopped beside the cardinal. “Thank you for the ride,” she said. “I really appreciate it.”

“You’re quite welcome,” he replied. “Why don’t you come by my office sometime? I’m sure I can find something better for you to do than the odd jobs Imperator throws at you.”

“I certainly will,” she said, bowing her head once again. “I’d like that very much.”

Copia smiled at the postulant. “Oh! I almost forgot!” He fished around in his shopping bag and pulled out a bottle of Cheerwine. “This is for you. It’s from your home country, no?”

Kayla’s jaw dropped as she took the drink from him. “It is! I never thought I’d see this again.” She turned it over in her hands, reading the words on the familiar label. Her eyes filled with tears as her mind flooded with memories.

“I know you haven’t been here very long,” he said, “so I thought maybe something from your old home would make you feel more at home here.”

“That’s incredibly kind of you. Thank you so much.” She leaned in and gave Copia a kiss on the cheek. He blushed a little and Kayla giggled softly.

“You’re welcome, but you’d better go. I don’t want you to miss out on dinner because of me.”

“Alright. Goodbye, Cardinal. See you soon.” Happily clutching the soda to her chest, she turned and skipped up the steps to the church, disappearing inside. Kayla ran straight to her room and unpacked her bag, stacking the books atop her desk and setting the Cheerwine beside them. She looked at the bottle for a moment and thought about her old life. She had mentally prepared herself to give up everything she knew when she left for Sweden, but the cardinal’s small gesture reminded her that all things in life need balance.

 _I know I came here to start anew_ , she thought to herself, _but maybe I can commit myself to the church and still hold on to my memories_. _I don’t know if it’s possible, but I think it’s worth a shot_. She left her room with a smile on her face and headed down to the dining hall, her heart filled with renewed hope for her future.


End file.
